


Aftermath

by Otterman_Empire



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fallout 4 Companions - Freeform, Fallout February, Fallout February 2020, Hurt/Comfort, Preston Garvey - Freeform, Preston Garvey is the general AU, Preston is the General AU, Riona - Freeform, Riona Wyld - Freeform, fallout companions, fallout4 - Freeform, its not really a ship fic but if you want to read it that way go for it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:42:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22644322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Otterman_Empire/pseuds/Otterman_Empire
Summary: It takes a long time to heal emotionally and physically from something so traumatizing. Riona is fortunate to have Preston as support in her time of need.
Relationships: Preston Garvey & Sole Survivor, Preston Garvey/Female Sole Survivor, Preston Garvey/Sole Survivor
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8
Collections: Fallout February 2020





	Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> This work is apart of a collection called Fallout February 2020, which will mostly revolve around developing my main character from my other fic called Sat in the Ashes. This work is a continuation of Delirium, which I would suggest reading before hand

It took months for Riona to be able to sleep through the nights again, and almost every waking moment she could spend alone and working out she did. She didn't want to look at anyone disgusted and ashamed that she had been captured and reduced down to a pathetic weeping mess. 

She only communicated with Codsworth and the general on occasion outside of the security of the darkness. She was fortunate that Preston had enough tact to not bring up her sleepless nights and his comforts. He was worried about her, she might have been able to survive in the world before but he's seen her push herself too far too many times. She had a bad habit of discovering things that were dangerous to her. He was convinced that her more than normal weakness to radiation was due to her being pre war, which they had discovered after a feral encounter but was confirmed the first time she was caught in a rad storm. 

She was high strung all of the time, she couldn't stand cramped spaces anymore and would anxiously rub at her wrist when she was stressed. She refused to wear anything less than a full shirt and would refuse any assistance in healing up her back. And the sound of heavy boots still unsettled her.

Preston had made it a habit to stop by her home every evening at the end of his patrol to check on her, and oftentimes would have to convince her to go to bed or at least just sit and relax. He had to talk her down from going off back to the Corvega plant multiple times, they needed her to get better and heal fully before he even dared allowing her out of Sanctuary and while she resented it she could understand it. 

Preston was finishing up his patrol around the settlement, shift change coming up allowing him to go check in on Riona. When he got to her door he knocked twice and walked in, noticing a distinct lack of light. 

“Mum, you must come out!” Codsworth was half shouting through the bathroom door clearly fumbling with the lock. He made a sound of frustration and knocked on the door again half bumping into it. 

“Codsworth what going on?” Preston had set his boots down near the entrance to the hall and put his hat on the shelves there. Codsworth turned around in surprise throwing his limbs in the air in exasperation

“She's locked herself in the restroom! I don't know what happened, she worked herself into a tisy and now wont come out.” he sounded panicked, “I cant open the door with my hands, either.” 

He frowned and walked over to Codsworth and the door. 

“I'll deal with this, why don't you step out for a little bit?” Codsworth hovered hesitantly his eyes bobbing anxiously between the door and Preston.

“Please help her,” he sounded defeated and glided away. Bumping into the walls on his way out, Preston only moved to knock on the door after he heard the front door shut with a thump. 

“Riona?” He pressed his ear against the door trying to hear for her. He could hear the sound of running water and sniffling now that Codsworth wasn't blundering at the door. “Riona? Are you okay?” He knew for a fact that she wasn't, she hasn't been since they rescued her. “You know I'm going to have to come in if you don't say anything.” He waited, waiting for any sound of movement to indicate that she was going to unlock the door and just let him in, instead he heard the sniffling go silent. 

He crouched down to look at the handle of the door, and took out a lock pick set similar to the ones the Riona used. He had been okay unlocking doors before he met her but over time she's shared her knowledge of lock picking with him, and thanks to that he got the door open in record time. He was careful opening the door, and specifically moving it slowly making sure he was in sight right away. 

Riona was tucked into the corner between the sink and the wall, her head was pressed to her knees and her arms came up to cover her ears while she covered the back of her neck with her hands buried into her hair. It was a similar pose to what he had found her in when they found her. She was in sleeping shorts and surprisingly a tank top, her arms were bloody leaking from what looked like scratches. 

The shower was on filling a few basins instead of being wasted down the drain. The room was lit with a few piles of melted candles that were coming close to being completely burnt out. Preston leaned over to turn off the water and with the silencing of the shower he could hear her gasping like she was trying to control her breathing. He looked her over again, his forehead creasing with worry as he pulled out a med kit from the cupboards. 

He sat down adjacent to her and waited. He's learned that it was best to let her uncurl from things like this, otherwise it was likely to send her mentally back to the janitors closet she had been locked in for so long. 

When he heard her moving he made it a point to not look over at her and instead waited for her to respond. She slowly raised her head slightly uncurling herself and stared at Preston. He was always calm no matter what was happening and she envied that, she remembered that she used to be like that. Had a grip on everything and could manage herself and the darkness but instead she sat on the floor of her restroom, arms torn apart from her own hand and in a half panic set off from staring at her scars from the room. 

She sat up further her hair falling forwards messy from her handling and some sections slightly stained with the blood that smattered her hand. She had moved forwards unwedging herself from the sink, grunting quietly as knobs and other stuck out parts were dislodged from her and planted herself next to Preston. She reached out to grab his hand before pulling it back staring at the blood that was speckled there, and she inspected her arms that had become a blotted bloody mess, she moved away. 

He started opening the med kit pulling out cleaning alcohol, cloth and bandages before he looked back over at her. 

“What happened Riona?” His voice was compassionate and quiet, he put his hand out waiting for her to hand him hers. She looked away from him and found her reflection in one of the wall mirrors. She looked tired, and the lighting in the room only deepened her eye bags, her face was creased with stress lines and she watched as her face crumpled tears coming to her eyes before she turned away. She felt Preston’s had wrapped around hers and pulled into his lap, she could smell the bottle of antiseptic and she closed her eyes as preston cleaned up her hand moving to clean her arms. 

He hadn’t questioned her further and just worked on cleaning her up and bandaging her. It had not taken long but she was starting to sag with exhaustion, he had adjusted them so that he was settled behind her and she leaned back on his chest while he cleaned up and bandaged her other arm. 

“Every time I see them it sends me back.” She whispered as he had finished up, “it's just so much sometimes. I don't know.” she shook her head and had brought her knees back up to her chest. 

“You don't need to know anything right now Riona, you'll get there.” She could feel his voice rumbling through his chest and she pressed further into him taking in the comfort. 

“I'm sorry.” She turned further into him and she felt his arms wrap around her, they were swaying again. It was pulling her into sleep again and when he noticed he stood them up and collected her in his arms bringing her to her bed. 

He had her all settled on top of the bed and a went over to her closet and pulled out one of the thicker long sleeve tops, helping her into it before tucking her into the bed. He was starting to step out of the room for the night when he felt her hands grip his fingers. “Can you stay?” her voice was quiet and sleep laced but her eyes were pleading and he just smiled softly down at her and nodded. She made an affirmative sound before rolling onto her stomach wrapping her arms around the pillow beneath her. 

She felt the bed dip beneath his weight and once he was settled on his back, he placed his hand on her back feeling her breath. It took both of them moments to fall asleep comforted by the presence of each other. 


End file.
